


What Might Have Been, What Is, and What Could Be

by sisterdragonwithfeathers



Category: Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Probably angst at some point, Some AU stuff, and Headcanon stuff, anidala obviously, basically everything, just lotsa romantic stuff, prob background blyla at some point, rexsoka
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24177595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sisterdragonwithfeathers/pseuds/sisterdragonwithfeathers
Summary: Basically a ton of random Rexsoka one-shots ranging from totally AU to headcanon. I might do some more on this at some point, but mostly I'm working on bigger fics and individually-published one-shots now.I don't ship them before around the age they are in season 7 and after.Probably spoilers for every season of Clone Wars, Rebels, and the Mandalorian.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Anakin Skywalker, CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 11
Kudos: 175





	1. Aggressive Cuddling

**Author's Note:**

> This one's a Rebels-era AU, where Ahsoka and Rex got married sometime after he joined the rebellion.  
> It was inspired by this prompt from Pinterest:  
> Person B of your OTP not letting person A get out of bed by aggressively cuddling them.

Dim lights lit the floor, signaling the beginning of the base's day cycle in the darkened quarters. Outside the door, something (probably a droid) slammed against the wall. The clang was followed by an outburst of blips and other irritated droid noises.

Ahsoka was awake almost before the droid (probably Chopper)'s racket. She had trained herself ever since she was a padawan to wake at or before the first light of dawn.

With the knowledge that she was somewhere safe, she opened her eyes slowly. Rex was still asleep, facing her with his back against the wall and his hand draped loosely over her arm. With how close they were, she was surprised they were not entangled further.

She shifted out of his loose grip and rolled over, moving the blanket so she could begin to get up.

Rex's arms wrapped around her from behind again. "Stay," he chided sleepily. " 'S warm." 

His barely-cognizant tone brought a smile to her lips. Back during the war, he'd only had two modes: asleep or vigilant. A distraction or delay, even during normal sleeping hours, could have cost any clone their life. Now, at least some of the time, he was considerably more lazy in the mornings. That was at least one change the years had wrought in him that she was glad to see occasionally.

He hugged her tighter, his strong arms pulling her close. Ahsoka doubted she could really resist him without the force. She huffed and collapsed back on the pillow. "Rex," she complained.

"You don't have anything to do; none of the briefings, if there are any, will start till 9 standard. If any do, it'll be because of an emergency, and I'm sure you're on their list of people to notify."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at the casual complement. But, even Rex's sleepy logic worked out. She gave up and settled down again, pulling the blanket over her shoulder and trying to push a little farther away from the precarious edge.

These bunks were really not designed for two, especially considering one of them had headtails. Of course, Rex hadn't gotten any smaller, either. Not that she begrudged him that, after a life of rations. It was honestly rather nice to see him this well-fed: Ahsoka still had vivid memories of the few times she had seen Rex and his brothers out of their armor, how small they had looked despite their strength.

So she just sighed and rolled over, so she could inch further away from the edge without squishing him between the wall and her back headtail.

Rex, his eyes still closed, grunted in appreciation, and shifted his right arm out from beneath her so it rested in the small space between them.

Ahsoka tilted her head forward till their foreheads touched.

Rex leaned into her, then brought up his free hand to stroke one of her front headtails.

Ahsoka sighed and closed her eyes. "Fine, you win," she murmured at him. "This time."


	2. If The World Had Never Changed, And Love Wasn't Ash To Old Names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late- (perhaps even slightly post-) canon clone wars era AU, where Barris never framed Ahsoka for murder (instead she realized she had a Problem and got the Jedi equivalent of therapy and is still a padawan, even though she's pretty old), and all Sidious' betrayed apprentices and their cohorts (Maul, Dooku, Savage, and maybe also Ventress) ganged up and killed him. The war is still going on, but it's drawing to a close. Padme had the twins, and took a lesser role in the senate to stay with them on Naboo most of the time. Anakin and she are slowly working through a lot of things.  
> Ahsoka stayed with the Jedi order and became a Knight. She's handling attachments a little better than Anakin did, but barely.  
> (Feel free to use this AU idea for your own fics or textposts or whatever if you want, just credit me!)

"How does your padawan, Master Unduli?" Windu inquired of the Mirialan walking beside him.

Luminara glanced up at him then down at Master Yoda before turning her eyes forward again. "She does well, Master Windu. Her studies have come along nicely, and I have felt more peace from her in our meditations of late."

"And where is the padawan of yours, now, hm?"

"She is dueling with Knight Tano, Master. Knight Skywalker's prized pupil has been rather focused on her saber training of late."

"Concerned about this, are you?"

"No Master, I would expect nothing less from Skywalker's former padawan, though I do still worry for my padawan learner."

* * *

Barris picked herself off the floor and retrieved her saber. "Well, you certainly are energetic today, Knight Tano."

"Yeah." Ahsoka tossed her saber hilts and called them back to her in a circle around the training room. "Thank's for sparring with me."

"No problem." Barris got unsteadily to her feet. "Your alterations on the forms really pack a punch. I can see why you've been running out of padawans willing to spar with you. You'd floor most of them in ten seconds."

"Mhm," Ahsoka murmured, stepping toward the door. She gripped her saber hilts tightly before hooking them back to her belt. "And all the other Knights seem to have more important things to do."

"You could try hand-to-hand with one of the clones," Barris suggested. "One of the ARCs, perhaps, or your Captain."

"What?" Ahsoka's head snapped around.

They had by this point come out of the training rooms into a sort of lobby outside, with wide windows and assorted seating arrangements.

"Well, if you're looking for more combat practice. I overheard Master Secura say her sparring sessions with her Commander have been most informative, even to her as a Master."

Ahsoka clenched her fists, and several of the ferns planted around the room rattled in their terra-cotta pots.

"Ahsoka, are you feeling alright?" Barris looked at her with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Barris." Ahsoka waved the comment off as she trudged forward. "Don't let me keep you from your studies."

* * *

"I think Snips is in love with someone."

Padme's flickering hologram stilled for a moment. "Well, that was abrupt, husband-of-mine."

Anakin plopped down behind the desk. "I haven't had anyone else to talk to about it."

"And here I thought you wanted to see me and hear about the children."

"Well, there's always that, too," Anakin gave a lopsided smile. "But this is serious!" Hid demeanor darkened again.

"Alright, Ani." Padme smiled and sighed good-naturedly. "So, what makes you think our dear Ahsoka is having attachment troubles?"

"Well, she's been trying to hide it in her force-signature, but I can still read it in snatches." He leaned back. "Probably partially because of my own experience. And also, there's this."

Anakin tossed a holo disk on the table. The recording which sprang from it was of Ahsoka, fiercely confronting several senior padawans at once in the training chambers. Her look was dead serious, without a hint of her usual mirth.

"She's been like this for over a week. Repressed stress, moody moping, brutal training, all the signs." They both watched as the Togruta Jedi easily dissarmed and floored two of her opponents. "She's done so much lightsaber training she's running out of people willing to spar. And she's practically resonating with emotions. She's done a good job of hiding it from most everyone else, but it's not so deep beneath her shields that I can't feel it."

Anakin pressed a button and the recording stuttered to a halt, leaving Ahsoka in an action pose, both sabers out, leaping in the air with her head turned to look over her shoulder at her unfortunate opponents.

The snarl on her face looked almost feral.

"Was I really this bad?" He gestured at the paused holo-recording.

Padme shook her head. "Anakin, you were so much worse. We were **both** so much worse."

Anakin looked away from her and pursed his lips.

"Look, I know you don't like remembering but we were terrible." Her gaze bore into him, even from the blue-toned holo. "Do you really want her to go through what we did?"

Anakin closed his eyes and sighed, turning back to face his wife. "No, I would never want that for Ahsoka." He opened his eyes again. "But-" he huffed, gesturing sporadically, "she's under nowhere near the same stress I was when we were- figuring things out," he burst out. "I had my mother to deal with and Obi-Wan-"

"Anakin," Padme soothed, leaning forward. "We'll talk more about that later." She straightened. "So maybe Ahsoka's not under quite the same pressure you were, uh, _we_ were. You're still the one who called me saying she was having issues."

"Yeah," Anakin rubbed the back of his neck, then leaned against the desk. "I'm just not sure what to do for her. I want to help but she just seems... cut off."

"Do you know who it is yet?"

"Maybe, Probably."

Padme raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

He sighed, hard. "It's Rex. I'm almost sure of it."

"Oh." Padme blinked. "Well, I guess she takes after us in many ways."

Anakin growled. "It's terrible. I can't even be in the same room as my own captain without it getting awkward." He threw his hands up.

Padme seemed to be holding back her laughter. "Have you tried actually talking to them yet?"

"What? No." He shook his head. "Padme, you haven't been around Ahsoka these last few weeks. And Rex-" He frowned. "Well, I haven't been getting very close to Rex, recently, but I'm not sure he even knows about it yet."

"Oh, well, that could be part of it."

"Part of what?"

"Ahsoka's agitation. If her...attachment to the Captain is unrequited, that brings on a whole new layer of emotional turmoil."

Anakin sighed. "Great, how am I supposed to help her fix this?"

"Just keep an eye on them. Both of them. They trust you." Padme leaned toward him. "And if they really need your help, step in." She leaned back. "But try and let them sort it out themselves first, Ani? They are both capable of making their own decisions."

Anakin nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'll try my best."

* * *

"I don't know, Commander, I'm pretty busy with all these reports..." Rex trailed off, knowing his teasing would be maddening to her.

"Rex," Ahsoka complained. "Master Skywalker's been avoiding me and all the other Knights have more important things to do, or else I don't know them very well."

The Captain shook his head. "Fine, fine, I'll be there."

"Thank you, Rex," Ahsoka said gleefully, with a grin that showed off her sharp canines. There was a short pause. "Also, could you come without your armor? We're gonna be hanging out, not storming a separatist base or doing battle simulations."

Rex raised his eyebrows. _An odd request._ "Sure, Commander."

The comm flickered off.

Rex sighed and keyed off his data pad. He did have reports to do, but hardly any, and he'd have plenty of time to do them on the rest of their leave. It wasn't that he didn't like spending time with his Commander (still just Commander, even though she was a Knight, now; he supposed she just didn't want to leave her former Master's side), it was just...he liked it _too_ much. Always the urge to stand just a little too close, let his eyes linger a little too long, maybe listen just a little too eagerly to everything she was interested enough in to bring up. _Commander, Sir, Commander, Commander_ , he repeated over and over in his head, tamping down (most of the time) on the urge to call her something more familiar, or, galaxy forbid, endearing.

* * *

It was dim, but not fully dark (but then, when was it ever truly dark on Corrosant's upper levels?) by the time he reached the location she had sent him. He glanced around at the few people milling about near the entrance to this low roof-top garden, feeling strikingly out-of-place in this casual environment.

"Rex!" Ahsoka stood from a bench near the entrance and waved to him. "Thanks for coming," she said, as he came over, trying very hard not to default to his normal military gait.

He offered her a smile. "Said I would, didn't I?"

She returned the smile. "Walk with me?" She gestured down the path.

"Sure, Commander." _Just your Commander, remember, that's all. A friend and Commander. Close, but nothing more personal._

"Please don't call me Commander, Rex. It feels so...formal."

Well, there went that strategy. "Alright...Ahsoka."

She smiled at him as they started walking down the path.

He fell in line next to her, his hands clasped behind his back.

Rex tried, and was mostly successful, to appreciate the scenery around him rather than focusing on who he was walking beside. It was...nice here. He found he was almost too successful in ignoring his companion when he nearly tripped as she darted across the path in front of him, over to a multi-tiered fountain flowing into a fish pond at its base.

"Rex, look!" He felt like she almost purred the words as she pointed.

He directed his eyes to where she was pointing in the water: a large, blue and white striped fish lazily swam beneath the rippling surface.

"Let's sit here for a bit." She gestured to a bench directly across from the lighted fountain.

Rex obliged her. "So, how'd you know about this place?" He gestured around them.

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her legs. "I came here with Padme a few times, before she relocated. Mostly when Anakin was in a funk, around the time Maul and Dooku killed the Chancellor. She'd take me, and then later she'd take Anakin." Ahsoka's head dropped a bit. Her tone lowered so he could barely hear her. "I guess I hoped coming here, even without her, might help, but..." She clenched her jaw.

"Are...are you alright, Ahsoka?" Rex put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes! Maybe...? I don't know." She slumped down further, resting her forehead on one clenched fist.

Rex shifted toward her more, almost unconsciously. He realized, a bit late, how long he had left his hand on her shoulder and lifted it off, carefully, instead laying his arm along the back of the bench behind her.

She glanced up at him again, hand dropping to run along he right bracer. She looked so... what was it? _Uncertain_ , Rex decided. _Vulnerable_. That same look and posture she used to have when she was just a young padawan, barely a soldier yet, and had come back from a mission having lost far too many of their own.

"Look, Ahsoka, there's obviously something bothering ya, and I don't think you would have dragged me all the way up here if you didn't want to talk to me, for some reason or other, so..." He gestured sharply with one hand. "It seems to me you'd best get whatever it is out in the open, sir." He added the "sir" on at the last moment, to avoid adding anything more embarrassing.

Ahsoka stopped fidgeting with her bracers and sighed. She straightened a bit, bracing her arms against her knees. "Have you ever really thought about breaking regulations, Rex?"

"Well, that's," He started haltingly. "Basically what we do in some way or another every time we fight with General Skywalker, isn't it?" He smiled, trying to insert some lightness in his tone.

"Well yeah, I guess. But like, what about the other ones?" She stared down at her hands, avoiding his eye. "The ones not about how we do battle? The ones just about how we live?" She shifted again. "Like, how the Jedi have our code..."

Rex wasn't sure where this was going. "How do you mean?"

She leaned back against the bench, still not looking at him. "The Jedi code forbids romantic attachments," she said simply.

Rex froze. _Say something, di'kut, now's not the time to freeze up._

"What..." he stammered. "If... _who-?_ " He swallowed.

"But you're so darn _distracting_ ," Ahsoka moaned, letting her head fall back into her hands.

Rex's mind drew an absolute blank. He might have stopped breathing, too, he wasn't sure. She was...this was about _him_?

After a few moments of deafening silence, Ahsoka slowly lowered one hand and tilted her head to look at him.

He looked away, finally found his voice enough to mutter, "I...guess I'd thought about it, some. The GAR doesn't exactly encourage relationships...either." He could feel his ears turning red, and the blush slowly beginning to spread to his face.

Ahsoka's gaze didn't waver, this time. She stared at him like she was searching through his soul. "You're not...offended?"

Offended? At _her_ showing interest in _him_? He was thrilled. If a little shocked and disbelieving.

He cleared his throat, still not meeting her gaze. "No, uh, sir."

Her face fell just a little at his " _sir_ ". "So, not offended, but not..."

_Blast,_ he thought. _Now was **not** the time, Captain._ "No!" he said, hurriedly. "I mean, _yes?_ Comm- Ahsoka, blast." He was suddenly very glad for the dim lights as his ears burned somehow hotter. "You're... _distracting_ , too, sir."

Ahsoka's head jerked forward slightly and she put one hand over her mouth.

Rex wanted very much to move his arm from behind her now, but he was also suddenly terrified of accidentally touching her if he tried, so he stayed glued uncomfortably in place. At least his ears were cooling down a little.

After a few more moments of terrifying silence, a peal of muffled laughter came from beside him. Rex glanced quickly over at Ahsoka, who now had both hands over her lips and was nearly bent double. "You know," she laughed, straightening up suddenly and letting her hands fall into her lap. "I didn't think it was possible you'd be as bad at this as me."

Rex could feel the receding blush spreading across his face again. Nonetheless, Ahsoka's laugh felt freeing. He smiled sheepishly, and let out an experimental chortle. It felt as good as it had sounded. "I never knew I," he responded, "could cause you so much trouble."

Ahsoka let out her breath and sat back, still smiling. "You have no _idea_ what you've been doing to me, Rexter."

"Maybe, maybe not," he returned with a smirk, leaning into the bench beside her. "You haven't exactly been easy on me, either."

"Oh, so you were going around challenging everyone you knew and knew of to fights to work off your nerves?"

"Well, no." Rex shook his head. _So that's why she's been running out of sparring partners._ "Looks like you still hold the position of 'worst at this', 'Soka."

She hummed and leaned into him, pulling his arm down to drape around her shoulders. Suddenly stiffening, she glanced up at him. "Sorry, is this too far?"

His heart raced to the pulse he could feel through her montrals. "Doesn't feel like it," he murmured, feeling as if speaking any louder would somehow break this moment. He pulled her closer.

* * *

OK, sorry if that felt a little abrupt, but I'm gonna end it there so I can move on to other things now.

* * *

 **Bonus** (that I didn't have the energy to fit into the story properly 'cause I want to move on but couldn't bring myself to delete) **:**

"You've been...spying on me?!" she whipped around to face him.

Anakin grimaced. "Not spying exactly, just...looking out for you during a trying time."

"'Trying time'? Master, I am perfectly fin-" she cut herself off. "Well, perfectly capable of handling this on my own." Ahsoka crossed her arms and scowled at him.

He held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I know, I know, Snips, it's just I know how hard it was for me when I was going through the same sort of thing and I thought-"

"You thought what, you'd coach me through it? You're not exactly the best authority on relationships, Master."

"Look, I know I'm not the best, but I have still worked through it before and I think it worked out ok."

"Right, I'm sure you and Senator Amidala got married and are living happily ever after."

"Well, not exactly," Anakin rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not all sunshine and sandflowers but-"

"Wait," Ahsoka's arms relaxed a bit. "You two are _actually_ married?"


	3. Stars in My Night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clone Wars era AU where Ahsoka is Asaj Ventress' aprentice. (Ventress left Dooku sooner and is kind of a mix between an assassin and a bounty hunter still with some very strong dark-side influence).  
> Timelines are all different and not figured out, just suffice it to say Ventress picked Ahsoka up at a very young age. But the age difference isn't huge. Ventress gets more and more like an older sister and less like a guardian as Ahsoka grows up.  
> Rex is still a Captain, for multiple reasons including but not limited to Anakin's terrible lack of paperwork skills.  
> (As always you are free to use this AU idea, with credit.)

**Flirting Warning!**

_Ahsoka in this AU has some questionable morals. She gets pretty up-close and flirty with Rex, much like Ventress._

_I do not condone or support this kind of behavior, but it's how she would be if she lived in this AU. You have been warned._

**Context:**

  1. Ahsoka crosses the separatists and looses her lightsabers, she wants them back
  2. The droids have them, and will be taking them to General Grevious.
  3. Rex and Ahsoka have a history, and helped each other in the past
  4. So she finds out where Rex is being deployed, and confronts him.
  5. Insists he gets his General involved
  6. Rex is forced (partially by blackmail?) to help her
  7. He convinces Anakin with both the information she's already provided on separatist ship locations and her potential as a future ally
  8. Anakin agrees and they waylay the droid ship before it reaches Grevious and retrieve Ahsoka's lightsabers
  9. Then they contact her and she gives them a rendezvous to return her sabers to her



* * *

"Rex, are you absolutely certain this isn't going to be a trap?"

Rex nods. "I'm certain, general. Tano isn't the kind to set us up, and I believe she really does want her sabers back."

Anakin mutters something unintelligible. "Fine, just make the call then. I want to hear she's coming for myself."

"Yes, General." Rex nodded, and imputed the (temporary) code she had given him into his writs communicator. "Tano, come in, this is Captain Rex," he spoke into it as the line crackled open.

"About time you commed," her crisp voice quipped from the other side.

Rex repressed a frustrated sigh at her snippy tone. "We have your sabers and are headed to the rendezvous. Will you be there?"

"You fought the cyborg General just for me? You shouldn't have, Captain."

Rex did his best to ignore the odd looks his brothers, and even the General, were giving him. "We managed to pick them up _before_ they were delivered to him, actually, and If we _had_ encountered him, which we didn't, General Skywalker, _the one with the lightsaber_ , would have been the one to fight him." Rex worked to even his tone. "Are you at the rendezvous coordinates you sent?"

He could practically hear her eyes rolling on the other end of the comm. "Sure, Captain. Yes, I'll be there."

The connection beeped off and Rex dropped his arm.

"She'd better be there," Anakin commented. "We're going out of our way to drop these off."

"If I know anything, she'll keep her word. And I think it'll be worth it, sir. It'd be much more of an inconvenience to have Tano even a little on our bad side."

The General nodded his agreement.

* * *

They set the gunship down in a relatively open landing field within the borders of the outpost. Their rendezvous was to the side of one of the building only a dozen or so paces from its walls.

Anakin made a move toward the building.

Rex stepped up. "It might be better if I did it, General. I still don't think she really trusts any of you."

"Yet she does trust you." Anakin shook his head but handed the sabers over to his Captain anyway. "Which you still have yet to provide an explanation for."

Rex holstered his blasters and took the sabers. "It...really doesn't matter, General. And it was mostly an accident, at any rate."

"Hm," Anakin hummed as he turned back toward the transport. "Guess I'll have to take your word on it," he shot over his shoulder. "Don't take too long, or I might have to send someone out after you."

"Wasn't planning on it, General," Rex returned.

* * *

Rex carefully approached the corner of the buildings Tano had described to him. Keeping a respectful distance, he looked into the ally between them.

A hooded, obviously togruta figure moved just into view.

"Tano?" Rex rested his free hand on one of his blasters.

"Take your helmet off," she growled at him from the shadows.

Rex obliged, clipping it to his belt.

Ahsoka straightened from her fight-ready stance, and lowered her hood. "Good, it is you." She nodded as if in confirmation to herself.

Rex held out her sabers, and she quickly snatched them from him, one in each hand.

She held them upright in front of her and activated them. They lit up her face and the ally around them, one glowing in the lightest shades of green, the other pure white. Her blue eyes reflected their light keenly. She smiled. "I could kiss you!" Ahsoka exclaimed.

"Please don't," Rex muttered.

As he expected, Ahsoka's sensitive montrals caught the comment. She deactivated the sabers and turned to him. "Oh, come on," she smiled slyly. "You don't think I'm so bad, _Captain_." She ran a finger across his jawline. "I can feel it."

Rex jerked his head and pushed her hand away. "Forget it, Tano."

"Hm," she pouted slightly, then looked back down at the sabers. "I suppose that never was _your_ style," she murmured softly, her tone much more natural-sounding to Rex than just a few moments before.

She clipped the sabers to her belt.

And in the next instant, before he could discern what she was doing enough to stop her, she threw both her arms around his chest, leaning her head underneath his chin so her montrals nearly brushed his face. She stayed there for a few moments, then drew back almost as quickly.

"Here," she said, business-like, as if she hadn't just thrown herself at him like a giddy child. She offered him a communicator she had pulled from somewhere in her cloak.

He was too in-shock to take it from her, and settled instead for staring at it like a fool.

She rolled her eyes at his reaction, and slipped it in his holster, lingering close long enough to deliver what almost sounded like a command; "Keep in contact, would ya, Rexy?"

And in another instant she was gone, leaping to the top of the adjacent building.

* * *

Once she was out of the Captain's sight, Ahsoka dropped down through a trapdoor into the building below.

Ventress was waiting for her by the hidden viewpoint. "You really do seem to have taken an interest in this _Republic_ clone," she remarked, as Ahsoka sidled up next to her to peer out at the dumbfounded Captain. The older woman leaned against the wall to give her space. "I've seen you flirt for advantage, and there was certainly no advantage you could get from _him_ that way."

"No," Ahsoka stood and smiled, Rex finally having composed himself enough to slip on his helmet and walk off. She touched her hands to her saber hilts. "He's not like that."

"And what was that before you left him, hm?" Asaj gestured with one hand. "A hug, little 'Soka?"

"Hey, I don't have to do everything your way." Ahsoka crossed her arms. "I can have my own style."

Asaj raised her hands. "Whatever. Just be careful about trusting him." She laid a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder and gave a crooked smile. "I wouldn't want to have to hunt him down for breaking my little sister's heart."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes back and returned the smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I had fun with this! I find myself wanting to continue exploring this dynamic. If this interest persists, I may end up with a few more snippets in this "fic" dedicated to this AU.


	4. Ticklish?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally random. Barely romantic (in intent, anyway). Very silly. (and I was lazy so yeah I skipped some description sorry not sorry I have bigger, more exciting projects I'm working on)

Ahsoka started just brushing her hand over the top of his head. Gently, like she was stroking a tooka. Then both her hands ran over the sides of his head, around his ears.

Rex resisted the urge to lean into her touch. Instead, he just closed his eyes. This was rather enjoyable, actually. Maybe he should have his hair this long more often.

Ahsoka's hands continued down around the back of his head.

Rex tilted his head down slightly as she went lower. He thought if he really was a loth-cat, he might have purred.

Finally, one hand swooping down from the base of his skull, Ahsoka's fingers lightly brushed his neck.

Rex sucked in a breath through his teeth.

Ahsoka paused, tilted her head slightly, then slowly ran her fingers over the same spot again.

Rex willed himself not to move, not to show this weakness. He was only partially successful: he couldn't quite stop his head from twitching to the side slightly.

"Rex," Ahsoka started, slowly.

_Oh blast._

She grinned. "Are you ticklish?"

........

And That is how the next three highest officers in the 501st walked in on their Captain and Commander in stitches on the floor madly dodging and blocking each other's wiggling hands and fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again sorry it's a bit short but I am working on several much longer and more interesting chapters and fics.


	5. What the Years Gave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short, cute little thing because I fully intend to keep to a weekly update schedule from now on (every saturday), but it's kinda late and all I have the energy for is silly fluff.  
> (Edit: OK, this turned out to be not-so-silly-fluff. This is...a thing that happened.)  
> Rebels era. Pretty much no alterations. This is how I see their relationship in canon.

"You know, I think it's better this way."

Ahsoka shifted her gaze from the rising Atolan sun so she could turn and see his face more comfortably. Her brows furrowed slightly upward. "What do you mean?"

Rex glanced down at her, and apparently perceived some of her hurt in her expression. He quickly qualified, "I mean, I do miss all the years we lost, and wish I could get them back, somehow, but-" He sighed. "I don't know how you saw things, but we were never really..." he paused, searching for words, "never fully equal, back in the day."

Ahsoka furrowed her brows deeper, still gazing at him. "How? And we are now?"

"That's how it seems to me." Rex tilted his head back to look at the sky above them. "There was rank, first of all. You were the Commander, and I was the Captain. And then you were a Jedi. Not to mention the Republic considered you a person, more consideration than they ever gave any of my brothers." Rex sighed again. "Though, to be fair, that was easy to forget beside the General." A small smile graced his features at the memory.

Ahsoka turned more fully to face him. "You felt inferior to us?" She leaned forward slightly, even as her mind recoiled at the thought.

Rex thought about that for a moment. "In short, yes." He looked down. "We clones always knew we were expendable, ultimately. The Generals, good ones, like Koon and Skywalker and Kenobi, and even Windu, made us almost forget sometimes." He folded his hands together. "But we always had in the back of our heads what we were made for. What we meant, that it was less than what you were worth to the Republic we fought for."

"So we always held the higher power," Ahsoka murmured, painful realization dawning on her. " _I_ always did." She felt a small surge of relief from Rex. He had been worried she wouldn't understand.

"Yes," he said. "No matter what happened, that was always there, before." He shifted to finally look at her. "There's a lot of things the years have taken, but that is one thing they gave." He gazed at her, tentatively laying one hand against her arm. "We are finally on equal footing. Fighting on our own terms, for something _we_ chose."

Ahsoka smiled at him. "And _somewhere_ we chose," she said, nodding toward the sunrise.

Rex smiled back and glanced over at the lightening horizon again.

While he was distracted, Ahsoka reached up to his shoulder and tugged him gently toward her. He whipped his head back toward her in surprise, immediately meeting her gaze. As soon as he did, she let her hand drop from his shoulder.

Still gazing into her eyes, Rex leaned toward her on his own. "And with _someone_ we have chosen?" He murmured. Ahsoka leaned forward to meet him in the middle. "With someone we have chosen," she echoed, as their foreheads touched.

There was silence all around them, save for the early-morning birdsong and the distant rustle of those few on the base who were up and active at this hour. Rex and Ahsoka both closed their eyes.

After a few more moments of silence, Rex sighed and pressed his forehead more firmly against her own. The warmth of his skin sharply contrasted the cool air and her own cooler body temperature.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. His voice began to break. "Sorry I can't give you more." He reached out and folded his hand around hers. "Sorry I can't turn back the clock, and give you back all those years."

"I'm sorry, too," Ahsoka whispered back. "I'm sorry I was so blind back then, when I could have done something. I'm sorry I didn't do more," a lump began to form in her throat, and she tried to swallow past it, "couldn't _save_ more of all-" she managed to continue, before her tears choked her out.

He reached up and cupped her cheek with one rough hand, brushing away her tears with his thumb. She placed her hand over his.

She was shaking, and he could feel it. She felt him draw back a little, and for a moment she was too distraught to follow or even look at him. But then his hand was slipping out of her grip, and resting against her back with gentle pressure, and she let him pull her close and curled up to his chest and just cried, letting the sobs wrack her body like she hadn't in- oh, how many years?

Judging from the warm wetness she could feel on her back headtail, Rex had joined her. She gave a weak little laugh.

Rex's arms squeezed tighter around her. "You alright, Ahsoka?" his voice rumbled next to her montrals.

She nodded into his chest. "Yeah," she breathed. "Just...sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

She turned and nuzzled her face into his chest a little more. "This morning was supposed to be relaxing and pleasant," she reminded him. She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. "I might have ruined that," she noted with a weak smile.

Rex chuckled deep in his chest. "You didn't ruin anything, Ahsoka," he assured her. "Having you here-" he tapped his fingers to his chest, "-is well-worth a slightly less-than-peaceful sunrise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, that went in a different direction than I anticipated. Could it have something to do with that chapter of Meridianpony's Dominoes I read just before I wrote this?  
> is the ending abrupt? whatever. maybe I'll add a sentence or two later. maybe not.  
> darn I am tired. but still proud of this. goodnight.,


	6. If The World Had Never Changed, And Love Wasn't Ash To Old Names  Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more of "that knight Tano AU" per the indirect request of Krystalslazz who commented on the last chapter. <3  
> (The AU from chapter 2, for anyone who wants to go back and review the first installment again)

"Knight Tano!"

Ahsoka was jolted out of her pleasant daydreaming as Barris hailed her from behind. She came to a halt in the middle of the hallway and turned to see Barris jog up to her.

"You're hard to keep up with," Barris noted between breaths.

"Oh, I guess I walk pretty fast when my mind is on... other things," Ahsoka acknowledged sheepishly, her headtail stripes darkening slightly. "So, what did you need me for?"

"I just thought maybe we could talk for a bit." The other woman folded her hands demurely in front of her. "Pardon me for saying, but, you have seemed much more at peace for the past several days than you have for awhile. I thought perhaps you could give me some pointers in whatever helped you."

Ahsoka's eyes widened and she bit her tongue to keep from expressing her surprise verbally. "Whatever helped her" had been confessing her feelings to Rex; not exactly a code-approved method for relieving stress, however effective it was.

"Oh well," she stammered. "What I'm working on now is kind of... _experimental_." Well, that was true.

"So no chance of a lesson?"

"No, now now." Ahsoka mentally sighed with relief when Barris didn't press the topic further. She looked so disappointed in her concerned, subtle way though...

* * *

Less than 20 minutes later, Ahsoka was sitting with Rex in the mostly-empty barracks mess, sipping a steaming mug of caff.

"So you told her it was 'experimental' and then just, what, walked off?"

Ahsoka moaned. "No. Then I said if I ever figured it out I would fill her in later."

Rex snorted.

Ahsoka smirked at him but refrained from saying anything. She knew she was lucky. Many of the boys and (probably even her old master) would be in stitches laughing at her at this point. Rex had the courtesy to be much more polite.

"So, this," he sobered up, and gestured slightly between them, "Did that much for you?"

"Yeah," Ahsoka said slowly.

"Just this?" he asked again. "I mean, this has a lot of complications we haven't really..."

" _Anything's_ better than unrequited feelings, Rex. Haven't you watched any holodramas?" Ahsoka poked him with her elbow.

Rex shook his head. "Can't say that I have, Commander."

"Well, we've got to fix that!" Ahsoka exclaimed, in mock horror. She paused to think. "How does seven sound?"

Rex looked down at her with utter bewilderment. "Seven?"

She bumped into him again. "Seven tonight, of course." She picked up and waved his datapad. "We've got to remedy your astonishing ignorance!"

"Oh." Rex's ears were getting red again. "Seven... where?" He crooked an eyebrow at her.

"Well, if we're avoiding the boys for now, the Temple would work," she thought out loud. "I haven't got much there in the way of seating, but if we snatch a few pillows from Anakin's quarters we ought to be able to cobble together a decent seating arrangement."

"No one in the temple will mind?" Rex looked incredulous.

"I don't think so?" Ahsoka tapped her fingers on the table. "I mean, it's been awhile, but Anakin and I and you have done similar things."

"Us three is a bit different than us two," Rex muttered, still a little flushed but looking thoughtful.

"We'll make it work, Rex." Ahsoka leaned into him. "All of it."

* * *

They did have the movie night, and it was enjoyable (more so Ahsoka's company than the actual holodrama). No one bothered them about it, either (though that might have been to some extent due to Ahsoka practically sneaking him in while no one was watching).

Rex supposed he shared some of Ahsoka's relief at having their feelings out in the open. But more on the forefront of his mind was how this complicated things. His previous internal struggle about how much he could show his feelings for her might actually be worse, now, than it was before. Before he had denied himself entirely. Should he allow himself now?

Because now that he knew she wanted it, staying close was nearly irresistible. He always stood close, when he could. Constantly found himself leaning into her space. But wouldn't giving in to this just compound both of their distraction and get them caught?

They really needed to figure this out.

* * *

Rex seemed a bit distant, to Ahsoka. Sure, he was somewhat more open now, but she noticed that he still shied away from her some.

She was fairly sure she hadn't upset him. He was just a bit reluctant, unsure of how _this_ was supposed to work. She was too, now that she thought about it a bit. Getting her feelings out there had just been such a relief that for a good while, nothing else seemed worth bothering about.

_I really need to talk to him again,_ she thought. _We need to figure out what we're doing._

* * *

_I **really** need to talk to them, now,_ Anakin told himself. He shook his head. _They're hanging out more, doing stuff together._ He recalled Ahsoka casually 'asking' (a little late) to borrow some of the pillows from his quarters. She'd told him what for readily enough, though he noted she didn't elaborate. _**Something** must have happened,_ he concluded.

"Oh, why can't Padme be here to help with this?" He moaned aloud. He threw his hands in the air. "What am I supposed to do, invite them both over to dinner and say, 'Hey Snips, Rex, I know you two have something going on, so how about we talk about it so you don't make the same mistakes me and Padme made? Oh and by the way, Padme and me are married, so I'm qualified to give advice.'" Anakin rubbed his face. "I can't even cook," he muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that wasn't too short or abrupt to be enjoyable.  
> My next update will also be a continuation; this time of "Stars in My Night?"  
> (Yeah, that one. I knew I couldn't leave it be.)  
> "Stars in My Night Part 2" will be released next Saturday.


	7. Stars in My Night?  Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was right, this concept stuck with me. It just has so much glorious potential!  
> FINALLY DONE. FINITO. OVER. THE END. (for this chapter)  
> Sorry it took so long. I'm done now.

**Warning**

I still don't condone Ahsoka's flirty-ness,

or any of these characters drinking alcohol.

They continue to do these things regardless, however,

because that's how they've been raised and these are their choices.

* * *

"You needn't waste so much time on your looks, you know," Asaj Ventress said, leaning in the doorway. "You're more likely to attract someone else's attention than his."

Ahsoka turned from the mirror to frown over her shoulder. "I can fend them off."

"Oh I know," the older woman drawled. "But generally informants passing off confidential information try and not be very noticeable."

"Well, maybe I'm different," Ahsoka returned, resisting the very childish urge to stick out her tongue.

Asaj laughed. "Now there's the truth, little 'Soka." The older woman stood and walked up to stand behind Ahsoka's seat. "I do worry you're putting too much hope in this clone." She gestured. "What response has he ever given to encourage you so? The man is too upright to do anything but turn down your advances."

"That's the thing," Ahsoka spun to face her, "he never takes the bait. It's never what he's after. But he still...helps." Ahsoka's hands came up to brush her saber hilts.

"You like that he's honorable." Asaj placed a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. "I can respect that. It's rare in males." Her gaze hardened. She leaned in, "But don't you think he is too noble, too loyal to his duty as a Republic soldier to ever truly have feelings for the likes of us?" Her eyes bored into Ahsoka. "The likes of you?"

Ahsoka glanced down, then stubbornly met Ventress' gaze.

"I will test his resolve, then," she replied, determinedly.

Asaj leaned back with what, on her, passed for a fond smile. "That's my girl. Go get your soldier, little sister."

* * *

The tone woke Rex up.

He had already reached over and grabbed his bracer, his hand hovering over the wrist communicator, before he realized that wasn't where the sound was coming from. He paused for a moment. In the darkness of his room, a tiny flash of light glinted in his holster, from beside his deecee.

Tano's comm.

Rex had debated his decision to keep it for well over a month now. _What harm could it do?_ argued one side of him. And the other side would reply, fiercely, _It could get you killed. Give away the battalion's position. Contain a tracker._ But he'd checked it over himself, and it was nothing more than a comm. A private, encrypted comm, with a direct link to the most persistent, dangerous woman he knew.

Tano. The hunter. The non-Jedi force-wielder. Someone he now had a short but solid history of assisting. With military resources, no less. Someone he felt he could trust with his life, but still felt reluctant to trust with a comm number. What was it with her? With him? He was somehow confident she would never betray him, yet he still couldn't fully trust her. What an enigma, though, usefully, generally a distant one.

_Usually._

Rex slipped out the pulsing communicator to hold in his hand. It was Tano, alright. She always had a reason to contact him. It would be foolish not to respond. He keyed it on before his nerves could convince him otherwise.

Blue light shone in Rex's face. He briefly raised an arm to shield his eyes. He hadn't expected a holo-call.

The realization that he was still in his blacks came at about the same time his eyes adjusted to the light.

A small image of a hooded figure hovered before him. Tano's eyes glinted beneath the hood as she looked him over. To his relief, they didn't linger long on his apparel, instead shifting to his face to meet his gaze.

"Captain Rex," she confirmed, her eyes sweeping over his hair and features.

"Tano," he replied, rubbing his eyes. "I trust you have something worth my time at this hour?"

She inclined her head. "Sorry to wake you. I have come into possession of information I believe you will find valuable."

Rex raised his eyebrows and waited silently.

"You have leave this week, yes?"

Rex furrowed his brows. "What interest is it of yours?" Caution crept into his mind.

Ahsoka didn't answer his question. "Will you be able to make this time and coordinates?" She tapped on her comm, and the one Rex held beeped with the received data.

He looked down and keyed it into his view. he furrowed his brow again. "I could." He looked back up at her, eyebrow quirked. "What makes it worth my while?

Ahsoka's hands appeared from beneath her cloak in a gesture. "The information I have is time-sensitive, and highly protected. If I you do not act on it quickly or it comes to certain ears that I have it, it will not end well."

"Why can't you just tell me now?"

"If I could communicate it over comms, I would."

Rex wondered if that were really true. He paused. "Fine, I'll be there."

She raised an eyebrow marking. "Alone?"

"Alone," he confirmed, shoving down the jab of worry that came with the admission. "And not looking like a Captain."

* * *

Ahsoka let out a breath after the call ended. "He's coming." _Not for me, but for the information,_ she thought, bittersweetly. _I do want him to know it. Though,_ she pondered, her eyes suddenly brighter, _he would never have agreed to come if he didn't trust me._

"I'll take that as a complement," she said aloud.

She went about the rest of her preparations with a smile.

* * *

Of all the ways Rex had pictured spending his leave, this was not one of them. Quietly going on a secret mission for a private information exchange with Tano would never have even made his list, assuming he made one.

Rex walked in and scanned the cantina Tano had given as their meeting place. Dressed as he was, he didn't attract too much attention. He was helmetless, though still wearing his armor beneath a long, hooded cloak. What armor he had on lacked distinction. He had removed his winged command pauldron, as well as his kamas. If anyone was observant enough to notice he was a clone at all, they would see nothing of particular interest about him.

He was a little early, but, like any good contact, Tano was earlier. She was already seated at the bar. And she was wearing, to his surprise, not a subtle cloak, but a rather fetching getup with a good deal of style to it. As he came closer he could see a few other differences from her ordinary appearance.

Her cheeks looked slightly more flushed than usual, as did the dark blue stripes on her headtails. Her eyes also seemed a little brighter, and her markings more prominent. Perhaps it was the bar's strange lighting. Or it could have something to do with the alcohol in her glass.

She nodded to him as he sat down next to her. She waited while he bought a drink before standing with her glass and motioning him to follow.

Rex tossed a couple credits on the bar, grabbed his drink, and trailed after her.

She lead them to a nearly-enclosed table, far enough from the other patrons that they wouldn't be heard speaking softly. She took a seat and he slid in across from her.

“Glad you could make it,” she finally greeted him. She took another sip of her drink.

Rex frowned. The deeper blush on her cheeks was still visible here in the dim light. "Aren't you too young to be drinking?" he asked her.

Tano narrowed her eyes at him over the rim of her cup. "What do you care, Captain? From what I hear, you're younger than I am."

Rex looked away, unsure of how to answer. _Why did he care?_ At least she still had enough decorum to call him by his title. She certainly wasn't drunk.

* * *

Ahsoka acted annoyed by his inquiries, but truly she was fascinated. Why would Rex be concerned about her drinking? She wanted to believe it was because he cared for her. But a disappointing reality might be that he was simply worried she might not be able to deliver her information, or ashamed at the thought of being in the company of someone drunk or tipsy.

She shook her head to brush away the thoughts.

"Good choice of clothing," she commented. "Inconspicuous."

The muscles in Rex's jaw twitched. "Why don't you just give me your information, so we can part ways?" His tone was clipped, his expression cool.

Ahsoka swirled her glass. "If we did that, it'd look suspicious. If we stay and talk for awhile," she couldn't help a slight smirk, "no one will notice anything out of the ordinary."

Rex's eyes widened a bit. He hadn't realized what she was getting him into. Suddenly, Ahsoka was a little worried he might bolt.

Before he could break out of his silence, She continued in a lower voice, "If you want the time spent to be in something other than fake conversation, I could stand to know where the nearby battalions are set to be stationed."

"You want me to give you information on our troop positions?" Rex's gaze darkened worryingly, but the alarm had gone out of his eyes, acceptance replacing it.

Ahsoka attempted to placate him. "For tactical purposes. The more I know, the better I can identify suspicious Separatist activity." She held out a hand. "Or do you not trust me enough to let me know for certain?"

Rex's eyes narrowed, but she could sense the conflict in him. See his mind turning as he processed his situation. "Fine," he finally agreed. 

Ahsoka knew what her sweet responding smile and choice of outfit would convey to those around them. And the dear Captain finally seemed to be catching up as well.

Rex glanced around the room subtly. He was good when he needed to be, she had to admit. She could sense but not see his agitation.

Until his eyes halted on Ventress sitting across the room. She made eye contact with Rex first, then Ahsoka, giving the latter a slight nod before turning her attention back to her drink and the other cantina customers.

Rex whipped his head forward. "What is she doing here?" he hissed.

Ahsoka regarded his reaction with some amusement. He was too deep now to bolt. "Oh, don't worry about her." She waved a hand. "Ven' just likes watching out for me. She's like a sister. She won't interfere."

Rex's agitation barely calmed. And now it was evident on his face. She glanced over him. "Relax," she coaxed. "You're going to blow our cover."

* * *

"Relax." _Relax?_ **_Ventress_** was sitting across the cantina, watching them, and Rex was becoming more and more painfully aware that the "cover" Tano was insisting on looked very like a date. _Relax_ , indeed. The sheer nerve of her. But Rex released his shoulders and worked to smooth out his expression anyway. He was in too deep to get out of this now.

He looked down for a moment, composing himself, and took a big swig of his drink. He was going to need it.

He looked up again. The young woman across from him was waiting expectantly. Despite his initial shock, her logic worked out. A spy knowing troop positions did make sense. And, despite everything, he knew she wouldn't betray them with it. Besides, if he refused to tell her, it wasn't as if she couldn't figure it out despite him. This was easier, and built trust. And an ally was nothing to sneeze at, tactically speaking.

_Or personally,_ his thoughts inserted, flashing before him memories of being stranded with her. He shook his head.

"So," he worked to make his voice sound casual. "Troop positions?"

She nodded.

Rex shook his head again slightly, letting out a breath. "There's only the 501st and a portion of the 212th in the parsec at the moment, but there are some operations planned that will bring in General Koon's troops..." Rex began.

Throughout his brief, Tano listened intently, asking questions now and again for specifics, every bit the role of "interested female" she was playing.

After Rex finished, they lapsed into silence.

"The war isn't so clear from where the civilians stand." Tano finally said.

Rex looked up at her. "Well I'd hope not. I tend to put more faith in our security than that."

Tano nodded. "Most people don't know of these battles until after they're going on, or after they're over and the scavengers come back." She leaned against the back of the seat. "Some see it merely as an avenue for income, while others simply harbor a general distaste for it."

Rex nodded. He knew all this.

Tano leaned forward. "What do you think of the war?"

Rex furrowed his brow. Hadn't he just told her-

She anticipated his thoughts. "Not as a Captain, but as a soldier," she clarified. "As a man fighting it."

Rex was reluctant to answer this, to say the least. What business was it of hers? But what else was there to talk about?

Fragment by fragment, she coaxed pieces of it out of him.

First, about the war effort as a whole.

_The war was dragging on. It felt like they were inching closer to victory. And every year, every month, even, that it continued, there grew the demand for more men._

Then about the battles.

_The locals seldom helped, even when they had established milita. Many campaigns were in entirely hostile territory, on-world or in space._

Then about his brothers.

_Few knew their names, or cared._

She stayed leaning toward him, gaze focused, voice soft whenever she spoke. Gone was the flirting, the fierce, brash tone.

It was just beginning to be dark when she finally made to rise. "I think that was convincing enough," she whispered, smirking.

Rex didn't answer her, instead choosing to mull over the fact that an hour had passed almost without his notice, and that, during her questioning, he had almost forgotten they were putting on a show.

As they walked out of the cantina, Ahsoka reached over to link her arm with his.

* * *

Rex took a deep breath of the cool air once they were outside. His mind was clearing now.

Tano, walking beside him, gave a little shiver and pressed closer to him to escape the wind.

Rex shivered once himself as she brushed against him. He spared himself a look down at her. (It was a natural part of their cover, after all.) Her outfit really was more fashionable than practical. Much different from the apparel he was accustomed to seeing her in.

Brushing away his pointless musing, Rex leaned down toward her a little and whispered, "I'm assuming now is when you tell me that intel?"

Tano inclined her head slightly toward him, nodding. "The Separatists have been developing something," she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. She extended him a datacard. "Here's all the data I've got so far. From what I can deduce, it's a bioweapon, specifically aimed at the clones."

Rex's head snapped down toward her. "What does it do?" he whispered back, slipping the card into his belt and fighting to keep his voice calm.

"It sounds like some sort of mutation inducer, based specifically on clone DNA and physiology. It works on whole groups at a time, causing them to worsen each other's conditions with their mere presence." Tano shook her head almost imperceptibly. "It doesn't sound like it causes death, only disfigurement, but serious enough ones to take men off the battlefield."

Rex gritted his teeth. "That could cripple our forces. Entire companies of the GAR wiped out at a time." Rex's brow furrowed, and his eyes darted. "This could be devastating to the Republic army."

She shook her head slightly. "Not the army," she matched his low tone. "The men, your brothers."

Rex blinked at her.

She tugged down on his arm to bring him closer, still speaking softly. "I know you care about them, Rexter. Don't speak 'political public relations' to me."

Rex opened his mouth, then shut it again, looking away, apparently deciding better than to comment on that.

Silence stretched between them, apart from the sounds of the street.

"I should...get going," Rex finally said, at a normal volume.

Ahsoka nodded, but she didn't release his arm right away.

Rex glanced down at her. "Tano?"

"Ahsoka," she said, suddenly. "And one more thing before you go." She unhooked her arm from his.

Rex pulled up his hood, then turned to face her one last time.

And was rather startled by how intensely she was staring at him. Her eyes locked with his, her brows furrowed with deep concentration. He was so focused on her eyes, he didn't notice her hand.

The hand that reached up, grabbed the side of his hood, and pulled his head down to her level. At which level, Ahsoka leaned forward and planted a kiss against his cheek, before releasing him.

Rex jerked back slightly, automatically bringing a hand up to his face. His fingers came away sticky and reddish.

Just his luck, she was wearing lipstick.

 _As if she needed it,_ his thoughts said, unbidden.

"I..." Rex stammered. "Thank- thank you, for the intel." He quickly turned on his heel and hurried off, pulling his hood close around his face.

* * *

Ahsoka wrapped her arms around herself to stave off the chill she felt once Rex was no longer there to block the wind. She felt Ventress come up behind before she heard her.

"Were the results of this little experiment satisfactory, little sister?"

Ahsoka glanced back in the direction the Captain had left and gave a soft smile. "Mostly," she murmured.

"Well good for you." Ventress patted her on the back. "You can tell me how it went later. Come on, I got us a job." She handed Ahsoka's sabers back.

With one last glance back in Rex's direction, Ahsoka turned and followed Asaj away into the shadows.

* * *

Rex didn't look back once. Not even once he was well out of sight of...

_Ahsoka._ Kriff, when did he start thinking of her on a first-name basis? Oh yeah, was probably when she told him to, right before she kissed him. _Kriff, no, not right now._

Rex was good at compartmentalizing. He managed to retrieve the rest of his armor, get back on a shuttle, and return to the ship without a second thought about ~~_Ahsoka_~~ ack, no, _Tano_.

As quickly as he could, he headed toward his personal quarters. On the way, he reached up to pull of his helmet. About halfway off, he suddenly remembered the mark on his cheek and slammed it back on again, earning himself some odd looks from a couple passing shinies.

Once in his quarters, he removed his bucket and his gloves and went to the sink to try and wash it off.

Ten frustrating minutes later, he slammed his hands down on the sink.

"Does this blasted stuff ever come off?" he growled. He looked down at his bare, now reddish-tinted hands. (Thank goodness he'd taken off the gloves.) All he really seemed to be doing was getting it everywhere.

He swore. Had she done this on purpose? If so, why? Was it truly just for cover? Was its purpose to humiliate him? Or to somehow mark him as her own?

Rex rested his hands on the rim of the sink, letting his head sink down between his shoulders. After a few moments, he looked back up at the mirror. The mark was still there, faded and smudged for all his efforts, but still clearly visible. Hard to forget, much like Ahsoka herself. He swore again.

Why did she care about him? About his brothers? Why would a mercenary trouble herself with the affairs of war at all, let alone the lives of any one of the millions of identical soldiers who fought that war? What did she stand to gain from them?

Nothing. He and his brothers had nothing they could give her. No advantage, no credits, no reputation.

But she said she cared because they were _his brothers_.

And she had asked how _he_ felt about the war. And listened.

His reflection faded back into focus, looking tired and ragged. He scowled at the mark on his cheek again, then turned the water on and started scrubbing at it once more.

He would leave this behind, or he might die trying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was enjoyable! Next week's chapter (after I release the rest of this one) is gonna be Rebels-Era. I think I'll try something new with it.  
> My Tumblr is @sisterdragonwithfeathers: feel free to drop by and check out the original and reblogged textposts, art, and writing, or ask me questions about my headcanons, original characters, and/or AUs!  
> (there's a post specifically about this AU, that fills in a couple little gaps between from Rex's perspective)


	8. Would I Regret It?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, not quite the 'Soka gets a bug thing I promised (that'll be next week now), but still Rebels-era and sweet.  
> Canon-compliant. Something new (I've been writing some poems lately and rather enjoyed them).

**Both**

If I were to die today,

Would I regret the things I didn't say?

I would never regret the time we spent together.

Still there's something on my mind,

Maddening, am I going blind?

Why can't I grasp my own thoughts, all in grey.

This fog within my head,

like a language I've never read,

Would I regret these things I couldn't say?

All these words keep slipping past me,

I do well to catch a tone.

They're like memories that haunt me,

When I am all alone,

And I wonder,

Would I regret it?

**Ahsoka**

Sitting in a darkened ship,

Waiting for the storm.

I aim to strike like lightning,

But what if they are warned?

If the last things that I said

Were the last things that you heard,

Would I regret it?

If I never returned.

**Rex**

Sitting in the darkness,

Fears start creeping in.

Captured by a lowly beast,

Is this where I'm to end?

It's been so long, I've said so little,

Though the words inside me burned,

Would I regret it?

If that was all you'd heard.

**Both**

Uncertainty has been our life

Since before we met.

I know we've made a special bond,

That I will not forget.

Still all these unspoken words,

Ringing in my ears,

I'm so afraid you never heard,

It's become one of my fears.

Would I regret it?

All the things I didn't say.

Through all the years we spent together

We had precious little time to play.

All the things we said were in perfect honesty,

But I wonder

Is there more that we could be?

And if there comes a day,

My mind just can't make it fit,

When you don't return,

Will I regret it?


	9. Just a bug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first-ever attempt at a fluffy, sickness/recovery type fic.  
> Rebels era. Technically AU maybe, but I guess you could see it as headcanon if you squint hard enough.  
> Anyway...  
> In the context of "they're gonna get married soon" (very AU), this story would take place very shortly before he proposes.

Ahsoka knew, from the moment she woke up, she wouldn't be getting much done today. Or perhaps even for a few days more. She could maybe do some reports, she would definitely be keeping up with reconnaissance from the other rebels.

But as for right now- oh, _bother_ her aching bones and shivering and how sore every part of her was. Why did she have to come across that togruta settlement at the start of the sickness season? She'd been able to avoid this togruta-exclusive bug for years. Why now?

Ahsoka sighed, sat up, and leaned forward to reach her boots, nearly falling off the edge of her bunk in the process.

* * *

"Ahsoka, you look...terrible," Ezra blinked at her as she came in the door of the briefing room.

"Ezra, you can't just-" Sabine looked over to correct him. "Wow. You know what, you're right."

"Ezra! Sabine!" Hera exclaimed, before she herself turned around and got a look at Ahsoka.

"Woah," Hera shifted, her lekku swaying. "Y'know, for once, I gotta agree with the kids, Ahsoka. Are you feeling alright?"

Ahsoka good-naturedly waved off the comment. "I'll be fine, Hera. It's just a seasonal bug. Thank you for the concern."

Commander Sato gave an appraising glance over his shoulder. "Are you certain it is wise for you to be walking about in your current condition, miss Tano?"

"No, it's not," Rex said, storming up behind the group to the surprise of everyone there but Sato. He stopped beside Ahsoka.

"It's harmless," Ahsoka insisted, swaying away from Rex slightly. "Only other togruti could catch it."

"Not harmless to you," Rex pointed a finger at her. "Whatever you were in here for is not as important as your health." Rex turned to face Sato. "If you'll excuse me, Commander, Zeb will give my report, and I will escort Ahsoka here back to her quarters."

Sato raised his eyebrows. "Very well, Captain."

Rex nodded tersely and guided Ahsoka away from the holo-table with light pressure to her arm. Once through the door, he walked beside her back down the hall. "I've half a mind to pick you up and carry you there," He whispered, once the door closed behind them.

"Why are you whispering?" Ahsoka replied groggily, her eyes half-closed.

Rex said nothing, instead merely pursing his lips and raising an eyebrow at her.

Ahsoka's sluggish mind finally registered what she had replied, and she laughed softly.

The rest of their trip to her quarters was spent in a not-uncomfortable silence. Ahsoka nearly made the wrong turn several times, drowsy as she was, and Rex guided her in the proper direction with a hand on her shoulder or a nudge to her arm.

Finally, they stood at the entrance to her room.

"If you hurry," she nodded at him, "you could still make it back in time to give your report."

In answer, Rex pressed the control to open the door and shook his head at her. "There's a reason I told Sato Zeb would do it. In light of your little stunt this morning, I'm not leaving until you're settled in." He pressed a hand against her upper arm to guide her forward.

Ahsoka shivered against a sudden sweeping chill. Whether the sensation was from her illness or something else was not something she had the mental energy to contemplate right now. 

"Alright, Commander, boots off. You're not going anywhere else today." Rex left her in the center of the small room and started digging through a cabinet.

Ahsoka squinted wearily at her feet, tried to pick one of them up to pull off the boot, and nearly fell over.

Rex caught her, sighing. "Alright, that's enough of that. Sit down. I'll do it."

Ahsoka complied and, maintaining her hold on his arm for support, lowered herself to sit on her bunk.

Rex got down on his knees and began pulling off her tight-fitted footwear. After a moment, he worked off the first one and set it down. "You're not even wearing socks, Ahsoka." He threw his hands up in frustration. "I'm surprised you even managed to get both your boots on before you came wandering out around the base."

"Rex," Ahsoka chided, too weak to resist him as he worked off the second boot. "I was hardly just 'wandering around' the base." She managed approximately half a stern frown. "I knew what I was doing and where I was going."

"Humph," Rex grunted. After a few more moments, he had finally worked off her other shoe. Setting them to the side, he stood and stepped over to the cabinet again.

Ahsoka leaned against the hard durasteel wall and gave a yawn. "So tired," she murmured, closing her eyes slowly.

She opened them again when something soft brushed against her arm.

Rex stood in front of her, holding out a thick blanket. "Here."

Ahsoka reached out and took it, wrapping it around herself.

"Comfortable?"

Ahsoka nodded.

Rex's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he glanced around the room. "Well, I should probably be going then."

"Hand me my datapad before you leave."

Rex frowned at her, making no move to retrieve the device. "Didn't you say you were tired? You should sleep." He tiredly rubbed a hand over his face.

"Well, now that I'm all comfortable, I'm not nearly so tired." She nuzzled the blanket up around her, partially for emphases, partially to hide the youngling-like smile that spread across her face.

Rex sighed. "I don't suppose it would be looked well upon for me to take your datapad with me, you being a spy and all." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "And you might just get up and try and come after it anyway.

"I shouldn't just sit here if I can get something done."

He frowned at her. "You absolutely should; I think the Rebellion can spare you one sick day."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. "What, are you going to make me, Captain?"

"Ahsoka, I will sit with you here all day if that's the only thing that will keep you from trying to get up and around."

She smiled at him. "Well, now you're just giving me incentives to be stubborn."

Rex rolled his eyes. "So be it." He pulled another blanket off the shelf, slinging it around his shoulders as he sat down close beside her.

_Quite pleasantly close,_ Ahsoka found herself thinking. She could actually feel his heat radiating through the blankets into her cold arm and side. She gauged the distance quickly, before letting herself slip down to lean against him.

She felt him stiffen slightly. "Ahsoka?"

"I'm fine. You're warm," she murmured, closing her eyes. "And I'm cold and sore."

"Oh." He relaxed. "Anything I can do to help besides simply being a pillow?"

Ahsoka shifted. "My whole body's sore," she groaned. She nuzzled against him. "Your warmth helps."

"Well then, how's this?" Rex tentatively put his arm behind her and rubbed his hand across her upper arm and shoulder.

Ahsoka practically purred in response. "That's nice," she murmured.

Rex smiled, and settled back more comfortably. He slowly worked his hand down Ahsoka's arm and back, then across her shoulder.

Somewhere in the middle, Ahsoka slipped down almost entirely into his lap. Rex chuckled at the sight of her sprawled out like a loth-cat, breathing deep enough she must be nearly asleep.

* * *

Rex's communicator beeped incessantly. "Blast," Rex muttered, turning it on and the sound down to avoid waking Ahsoka fully again.

Zeb popped up on the holo. "Well, I've finished your report, and both Sato and Hera agree we both get at least the rest of this day off. So," the Lassat grinned, "Whad'ya say to some [space checkers], old timer? I'm a bit tired of playing with the kids here." He hooked a thumb behind him.

Rex chuckled at the muffled objections from Sabine and Ezra in the background. "Actually, my day is booked Zeb."

"Booked? The whole thing?" Zeb put his hands on his hips. "What could you possibly be planning to do all day that's more important than [space checkers]?"

Rex glanced down meaningfully at the half-asleep Togruta at his side, adjusting his comm so Zeb could see her too.

"Oh," Zeb shifted back a bit. "Is she alright? She's not lookin' great."

"She'll be fine," Rex assured him. "If I can keep her here instead of running around the base exhausting herself."

"Ooh, so you're staying with her so she'll stay put. Very clever Captain." Zeb smirked, more genuinely than sarcastically, for once. "Well," he raised his hands, "seein' how important the things you're doing are, I'll leave you to it."

Rex rolled his eyes. "Well I appreciate that."

"I'll tell anyone who asks you're busy."

"That would be good, thanks."

"Happy babysitting, Captain!" Zeb waved and ended the comm before Rex could get out a reply. He smirked and shook his head at the lassat's sass, before looking down at Ahsoka again with a softer expression.

"You asleep yet?" he whispered, gently rubbing his hand along her montrals.

She leaned her head into his hand slightly. "No," she murmured, in a voice that sounded very much asleep.

Rex chuckled. "Whatever you say, Commander." He kept rubbing his hand along the back of her head and down her headtail as her breathing deepened again.

After a few more minutes, he was almost positive she was asleep. He smiled down softly at her. "Sleep well, my love," he whispered.

Out of his line of sight, Ahsoka smiled.

* * *

Ahsoka woke again, more fully, when she stopped feeling Rex's hand move across her back headtail. She tilted her head, not able to see much of him. "Rex?" she murmured. His only response was to breath a little deeper. Ahsoka smiled. _Guess he needed a rest, as well._

She settled back down on his lap, whispering, before she closed her eyes again, "Thank you, love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh I love Rebels-era Rexsoka. Clone wars era AU stuff is fun and awkward, but Rebels-era stuff just always feels so sweet yet deep. Also closer to canon compliant, which I like as well.  
> Anyway...  
> Sorry if I got the plural of "togruta" wrong or wrongly made Rex a Captain when he wasn't. Also sorry I just left [space checkers] instead of looking up the game. I was just too lazy to fact-check anything.


	10. What Could Tie Us Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For dreamingangel, who left a lovely comment on chapter 4! Thanks for the idea! (and gosh I'm sorry this it's been so long) I hope you can still enjoy it even though I changed it up a bit.  
> I set it a bit post-Rebels, in a (almost certainly non-canon) future I came up with for a much longer story (which I might be tempted to tell eventually with enough encouragement).

"Two." Rex mouthed the word as though it was new to him. He didn't question her. He knew she was in earnest with one look. "Two," he whispered, again.

A smile quirked the edge of Ahsoka's mouth. He looked so in awe.

"Twins, right?" He glanced back up at her. "Like Fives and Echo."

The quirk became a full smile, and she chortled lightly at him, nodding. He was so eager to know everything he could about how things "normally" worked. Things he had never learned about families, and domestic life, and children. Not that he cared about being what would be called a "normal" family. A de-aged human clone married to a togrutan ex-jedi would never be "normal". And he didn't give a flick of a blaster over it.

Rex scooted in to sit on the bunk next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

She leaned into him, closing her eyes and sighing. "I'm a little surprised I didn't feel them before now."

"They wouldn't have been too small?"

"Hmm, no," she said, snuggling closer. "They're inside of me. I would have been able to tell, if I'd been paying attention or thinking about it. Guess I just didn't until we came here."

"Yeah, being here has made me think about some things, too."

"Do you think our kids will look like theirs?"

"Well, not exactly." Rex tapped the side of his leg. "You're different from her."

Ahsoka smiled. "You too, blondie," she teased.

"Hm, hadn't thought of that," he muttered.

Ahsoka wanted to kiss him at that, but his lips were too far above where she was leaning on him. So she settled for simply turning and rubbing her forehead against his chin.

He chortled and kissed her brow, right at the border where her sienna skin met the pale white of her montrals.

"You'll make a wonderful buir."

"You too."

* * *

"Are you two _still_ training?" Sabine asked, from where she leaned by the ramp to their ship.

Ahsoka and Rex both paused mid-movement, Ahsoka's sabers humming in the air.

"Yes," Ahsoka said, casting a glance back at Rex, who held her longer saber in front of him.

"Should we not be?" Rex inquired, still not budging from his battle-ready stance.

Sabine shrugged. "I wouldn't know, but," she waved a hand at Ahsoka's prominent midsection. "I suppose I assumed you wouldn't still be sparring at this point."

Ahsoka finally relaxed her stance and placed a hand on her stomach. "I'm not that far along, Sabine."

Rex lowered the saber he held as Ahsoka lowered hers. He looked over at his wife with concern. "Are you not supposed to be doing things like this?"

"I'm fine," Ahsoka insisted. "I can't do everything the same, but I'm not such an invalid that I can't spar with you."

Rex looked down at the white-hot blade pulsing from the saber in his hand. He retracted it and looked back up. "All the same..."

Ahsoka shook her head. "Coward," she said, mock-offended. She raised her saber. "So do you yield?"

Rex rolled his eyes and smiled, walking toward her with his hands in the air. Ahsoka extinguished her saber just before he reached her. She looked up into his eyes.

"I absolutely do," he replied, leaning down to kiss her lightly.

* * *

The delivery was more painful than Rex had anticipated. Even for him.

His jaw hurt from gritting his teeth against every cry and moan of pain he heard from Ahsoka. It chafed him, knowing there was little he could do. So he just stayed crouched by her side, offering his hand for her to grasp so tightly at times he could barely feel his fingers. He pointedly turned his back on the blood. It reminded him too much of the war, the times when "nothing he could do" meant much worse.

They forced him out of the room at the end, just for a little while, so they could get everything cleaned up and transfer Ahsoka back to a proper bed.

After what felt like an eternity, they let him back in.

Rex rushed over to Ahsoka as quietly as he could mannage. She was lying on the side of the bed nearest the wall, facing him. Two little bundles were wrapped in her arms and headtails.

Her half-closed eyes turned to him as he came up.

Rex's eyes trailed along her face, tired but peaceful, and down her montrals to the bundles of swaddling in her arms.

"Come down and see them," she murmured, indicating the other side of the bed with her eyes.

Rex blinked at her.

"Come on." She lazily flicked a hand at him. He could feel her slight, invisible tug pulling him forward.

"Alright, just let me get my boots off." He turned to sit on the edge, and quickly removed his boots. As soon as he was done, he rolled over and laid down to face her. "Better?"

"Mmhmm." Extending one hand, she pulled them closer till their foreheads touched.

After a moment, Ahsoka opened her eyes and looked down again, shifting one of the bundles in her arms toward Rex.

Rex reached out a shaking hand to touch hers as she undid some of the swaddling. Slowly, she shifted both the infants' small forms into his arms.

Rex took them gently.

"One girl, one boy," Ahsoka murmured at him, smiling.

Rex smiled back at her, the joy they shared lighting up the little room. He scooted closer to her, careful to keep the little forms safe in his arms.

And between them, the love of a family glowed bright and warm, in a way they had never had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a few headcanons, both mine and those I've seen elsewhere (like Tumblr). Like Fives and Echo being actual twins, and Rex being a natural blonde. Also "buir" is the Mandalorian word for "parent" (from the Mando'a dictionary on mandoa.org).


End file.
